The folks at Avnet Electronics Marketing Americas, the electronics distribution components group for the Americas region of Avnet, Inc., have released a new Xilinx MicroBlaze Processor Linux DVD and a MicroBlaze Processor Linux Starter Kit. They've also announced the launch of their Linux for MicroBlaze Processor SpeedWay Design Workshop.

The stand-alone Linux for MicroBlaze Processor DVD is based on both PetaLogix Petalinux and LynuxWork's BlueCAT Linux distribution and tool chains. The DVD demonstrates how to port Linux into a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) design using the 32-bit Xilinx MicroBlaze processor. It also highlights the benefits and tradeoffs when using the new Memory Management Unit (MMU) in the MicroBlaze processor. The new MMU enables designers to use commercial-grade operating systems when implementing their embedded designs with Xilinx FPGAs.

The MicroBlaze Processor Linux Starter Kit includes the Linux for MicroBlaze Processor DVD, the Xilinx Embedded Development Kit – Spartan-3A DSP MicroBlaze Processor Edition, and attendance at an Avnet Linux for MicroBlaze Processor Workshop, providing a complete platform for running embedded Linux on a MicroBlaze processor implemented in a Spartan-3A DSP FPGA.

Avnet has also launched the Linux for MicroBlaze Processor Workshop – part of the Avnet SpeedWay Design Workshop Series. The workshop offers support for embedded developers through a full day hands-on session that provides practical knowledge on utilizing Xilinx tools and Internet Protocol (IP) to create a MicroBlaze processor (based Linux system within an FPGA). The course is aimed at software and hardware designers considering an operating system for their next embedded processor based application.

The Linux for MicroBlaze DVD and starter kit are available through Avnet in the Americas, Japan and selected countries in Europe and Asia. For more information and to purchase, please visit: www.em.avnet.com/linuxmb.